Patent GB-889355-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in binary comparator system for position control systems
IPC: G05B19/29
Filed: 1959-03-25
Abstract: 889,355. Programmed electrical control systems. GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. March 25, 1959 [March 26, 1958], No. 10334/59. Drawings to Specification. Class 38 (6). In a system for automatically positioning an element of a machine tool in accordance with recorded binary digital coded programme, in which the coded command input is compared with a coded signal proportional to actual element position to obtain an error signal, the number of digits required in the codes is reduced by utilizing the cyclic repetitive nature of the least-significant digits together with means for preventing false error signals at the ends of each cycle. It is necessary to assume that the command signal and position signals are never allowed to get more than two basic increments out of step, otherwise the system will not work. It is also assumed that the number of basic increments, e.g. 0.001 inch necessary to cover the entire range of movement would be large enough to necessitate at least a 5-digit code, otherwise the system shows no advantage. Then a 4-digit code is used and the 3 least-significant digits of the command and position signals are compared either, by using graded resistors to convert the binary values to analogues and then opposing the two analogue signals, or by gating the two digital signals one with the other so that where the command and position signals coincide there is no output but out of balance signals pass to graded resistors to provide an analogue error signal. The use of three digits only provides 8 possible values of analogue signal. These are represented as 8 discrete voltage levels, the lowest being zero. Beyond the first 8 values the analogue signal returns to zero and the 8 values repeat &c. It is shown that provided the command and position signals never get more than two increments out of step, 4 of the 8 values are always unambiguous and the error signal derived from the comparison can be applied without further correction to a closed-loop positional servo-system, which controls the position of the machine tool element. However, at the point where one signal has returned to zero, the other signal could have a value of 1 or 2 (which would give a correct value of error signal) or a value of 6 or 7 (which would give an error signal of for example - 6 or - 7 instead of + 2 or + 1, the sign depending upon whether the command signal leads or lags the position signal). It is therefore necessary to detect these points of ambiguity and to add an extra plus or minus analogue B to the comparator at those points. It is shown that in the simple binary code the fourth digit of the command signal and the fourth digit of the position signal are always the same for unambiguous values but differ at the positions of ambiguity. By gating one with the inverse of the other, a signal is obtained only at the ambiguous points. This signal controls two further " and " gates to which are applied respectively the third digit of the command signal and the third digit of the position signal. It is further shown that when the command signal is leading, its third digit is always zero at the ambiguous points whilst the third digit of the position signal is a " one," hence this signal is passed by its "and" gate to add analogue 8 to the command signal. Conversely, when the command signal is lagging, the opposite occurs and the command signal has the " one," which causes analogue 8 to be added to the position signal.